Happy Birthday to my Husband

Today is my husband’s birthday! He is the love of my life and I can’t imagine a day without him! 

Happy birthday!!

Access to the Right Tool

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Access to the Right Tool, Rushton features Jehiel Oliver. He started Hello Tractor, Inc. in Nigeria to help farmers get access to tractors. This helped farmers do in one day what would normally take 40 days to do manually.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Do you know people who work hard, but are missing something that would allow them to be more (or much more) successful? What challenges do you see in your community? If you identify a need, would you take time to brainstorm with others interesting ways of addressing that need?”

It is so important to have the right tools for the job you are doing. It is always amazing when technology can help people have a better life. I think about how much this will change the lives of so many people in Nigeria. It would interesting to have students brainstorm ideas for their own community.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share. 

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 02/24/23

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Writing Prompts - Use a spinner to pick a writing prompt. (L:T; SA:A)

Curipod - “Generate lessons with AI. (L:T; SA:A)

Focusable - “ The fitness tracking app for your mind” (L:G; SA:A)

Using #ChatGPT for Differentiation - “I decided to test the limits of ChatGPT when it came to offering differentiation ideas — something that can really be time-consuming for teachers.” (L:T; SA:A)

Adventure Learning - “Establishing a sense of community within physical education classrooms is essential to developing students that are open to trying new activities and experiences. The OPEN Adventure module offers students an opportunity to connect with their classmates, build trust, and problem solve through a variety of fun and engaging activities. The activities can be grouped together as shown in the block plan for an Adventure Learning unit or can be utilized individually as an instant activity for any lesson. The activities within this module develop and reinforce responsible behaviors, while sometimes stretching students beyond their comfort zone. All participants are given the opportunity to contribute to small and large group activities through social engagement and building connections with their classmates that extend beyond physical education.” (L:M,H; SA:PE)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

5¢ Opening of Japan stamp

The 5¢ Opening of Japan stamp (#1021) honors the 100th anniversary of Commodore Perry’s negotiations with Japan. It was issued on July 14, 1953, in Washington DC. This negotiation opened Japan to trade after 200 years of isolation. This stamp features Commodore Perry’s ships in Tokyo Bay and Mt. Fuji is in the background. A portrait of Commodore Perry is in the upper right corner.

On April 10, 1794, Matthew Perry was born in Rhode Island. His father was a navy captain so he was accustomed to navy life. At the age of 15, he became a midshipman aboard the USS Revenge under his brother’s command. Perry also served on the USS President where he was an aide to the Commodore and took part in a battle during the War of 1812. He served on other ships in the Mediterranean and was even offered a commission with the Imperial Russian Navy but he declined the offer.

Perry took command of the USS Shark in 1821 and sailed to Key West, FL in order to claim Key West as a US territory. After that, commanded the USS Concord. He served as the second officer of the NY Navy Yard and then became Captain. He believed that naval education was extremely important and pushed for an apprentice system to train new sailors. He also created the course of study at the US Naval Academy and is called the “Father of the Steam Navy.” He commanded the USS Mississippi during the Mexican-American War and led the force in taking San Juan Bautista.

Perry’s biggest accomplishment is when President Millard Filmore sent him to Japan to open relations. On July 8, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry led four steamships into Tokyo Bay and the Japanese were very impressed with these giant steamships. The Japanese had never seen these ships before and called them “giant dragons puffing smoke.”

After arriving in Japan, Perry demanded that he be allowed to present the President’s letter to the emperor but his requests were denied. Perry opened fire on several buildings with his cannons and when the Japanese realized they couldn’t fight these weapons, they allowed Perry to land. He gave the emperor many gifts including a steam locomotive model, a telegraph, and a telescope. He hoped that these would show the Japanese how superior American culture was and encourage them to be open to trade.

The next year, both countries signed a treaty establishing peace between the US and Japan. It also called for opening two ports to the US, help, and protection for US ships stranded in the area, and allowing US ships to buy supplies, coal, and water in these ports.

Classroom Activities:

• How many states made up the US in 1794? Draw a map of these states.
• Describe one of the following ships and draw a picture of it: USS Revenge, USS President, USS Shark, USS Mississippi,
• What caused the War of 1812? Draw a poster or a brochure sharing these causes.
• What caused the Mexican-American War? Draw a poster or a brochure sharing these causes.
• What do you think President Millard Fillmore’s letter said? Pretend you are President Fillmore and write your letter to the Japanese.

References:
https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/1021/USA/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matthew-C-Perry

Self Care

I have seen too many people apologize for taking care of themselves. They feel selfish and unfeeling toward others. Over time, I think we are taught to feel this way whenever we try to take care of ourselves. I agree that if we are constantly only thinking about ourselves with little regard for others and it interferes with our relationship with others over time, we may be too self-centered. Yet, taking care of ourselves is as important as taking care of others. When we are given safety instructions on an airplane, parents are instructed to put their oxygen masks over their own faces before helping their children. If they don’t, they may not be in a position to help their children.

Nutrition: I believe that we need to eat healthy foods in order to keep our bodies in good shape. Students don’t automatically know what are healthy foods so they need to be taught this. It is important to look at labels on food to see how many calories, salt, carbohydrates, and sugar are in the foods. I also point out that the more ingredients that I can’t pronounce, the more I avoid these foods. I try to eat more fresh or frozen vegetables and avoid canned vegetables. I also limit the number of carbohydrates and sugar I eat every day.

Exercise: I try to exercise at least 30 minutes every day. If I have a choice of stairs or an elevator, I choose the stairs. When parking at the store, I park as far away from the door as possible ( not only for exercise, but it makes it easier to find my car!). I also try to get up and stand every hour. When I’m watching a movie on TV, I walk in place during the commercials.

Meditation: I spend 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of each day to just quiet my mind. I put on soft music and do some deep breathing exercises. This helps my whole body relax and re-energize. It helps me prepare for the day.

Attitude: I also start each day with a positive attitude. I think about what I’m thankful for. I avoid any negative thoughts and say some positive affirmations such as:

• It’s going to be a great day!
• I feel great!
• I’m so glad to be alive.
• I can face anything that comes my way today.

Hobby: I try to work on one of my hobbies at least once a day for an hour. I have several hobbies so I can choose whatever I’m in the mood to work on. Some people call this “me time” but it is very important for our overall health. I like to knit, crochet, spin yarn, read, garden, hike, play my accordion, and do digital scrapbooking. I’m learning how to play the ukulele and also learning to paint with watercolors.

I think self-care is as important as caring for others in order to be successful in life.

What do you do for self-care? Please share.

The Silent Dance

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In The Silent Dance, Rushton features the China Disabled People’s Performing Arts Troupe. The dancers are hard of hearing and the musicians are visually impaired.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

"Pick anything you love to do. How might you approach doing that if you couldn’t see or hear?

What do you imagine yourself incapable of doing now? Might there be a way to make it happen? If so, what would you need? Why not try? The more unlikely it seems, the cooler it is if you make it work."

It was fascinating to see how these people compensated for their disabilities. They were still able to do amazing things. I can’t imagine how difficult this would be! I think one of the things that would be helpful is that they are able to work together and support each other. This is something that I think would be inspiring to many students.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

What if…No Social Media

Lent season is coming up and I know many people stop using social media during lent. Others just like taking a break from social media and others just stop using it at all.

I believe a major factor in the usefulness of social media depends on your purpose for using social media. I like staying connected to family and friends that I would lose touch with if it weren’t for social media. In fact, I have been able to reconnect with many, which is wonderful! I also try to connect with many positive people so I find their posts inspirational and make me feel good. I avoid any negative posts and will disconnect if I feel the person brings too much unnecessary drama into my life.

Yet, if I stopped using social media, I’m not sure anyone would notice. The reason is that I don’t use it to get people to notice me. I have no idea how many followers I have or how many people I follow. If I like things they post, I tend to follow them and when I open up the app and their stuff pops up, I will see it. I have a few people that I have notifications turned on for but they are a very limited amount of people.

The people that I am most close to are those that I can see in real life. I stay in touch with them throughout the week and some family members connect with me several times a day. It is this group of people that I think (or hope) would miss me if they hadn’t heard from me in a couple of days.

Social media is a luxury and if it disappeared, it would be a disappointment but not a disaster.

How do you feel about social media? Please share.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 02/17/23

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Investing for Beginners - “basics, as we tackle the topics like the difference between a stock and a bond and contributing to a 401(k).” (L:H; SA:M,SS)

Cardboard Geodesic Dome - learn to make a geodesic dome. (L:E,M; SA:M,S)

eSkeletons - “eSkeletons provides an interactive environment in which to examine and learn about skeletal anatomy through our osteology database.”(L:M,H; SA:S)

Spinner Wheel - Make your own spinner with your own choices” (L:T; SA:A)

AI Writing Check - “AI Writing Check is a free service developed by Quill.org and CommonLit.org to enable educators to check if a piece of writing submitted by a student was written by the AI tool ChatGPT. This algorithm is designed to detect AI-generated writing.”(L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Scrapbook Pages from January 2023

Digital scrapbooking is a great activity to use in the classroom. It can be used to capture memories, share important information, or focus on a specific event. This would be a great alternate activity for book reports and even group projects. Here are some examples that I made in January. I use the website Gingerscraps for ideas and even free digital kits.

Dancing with Trash

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Dancing with Trash, Rushton features a choreographer, Alison Orr who wants to make a movie involving dance and garbage trucks.

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What different reactions do you have watching this trailer? Do you think of honoring those rarely honored? Do racial themes come to mind? Do you see enough to believe that something beautiful happens in this story? If so, what?”

I found it interesting that this choreographer was thinking outside of the box. I never imagined something like this being done. It had me wondering what other occupations are quietly left in the background. How about the road construction crews? What about the train repairmen? Or plane maintenance crews? How about the people who load luggage on planes? It would be fun to have students brainstorm other occupations that could be featured.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentines Day!

Please take time to tell your loved ones (friends and family) how much they mean to you!

January 2023 Photo A Day Project

I enjoyed taking photos in January and picking my favorite one each day. This would be a fun activity for students. I post these on Flickr and share them with a group. Then they are able to comment on my photos and I also can look at their photos. This is helping me take better pictures. 

Here are my photos from January: 

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 02/10/23

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Sherlock Bones - Dissect an owl pellet online (L:E,M; SA:S)

Physical Phonics Game - “The following physical phonics games have been specially written and devised by the team at Teach Your Monster to Read. They have been created to help children engage with phonics practice in a fun, challenging and exciting way. The games can be played in a classroom, hall or the playground, and with a full class of children. They are easily adaptable to complement each phase of phonics learning.” (L:E; SA:LA)

Iris Folding - a card-making technique (L:G; SA:FA)

CoSpaces - Make AR and VR in the Classroom (L:T; SA:A)

Internet Safety for Teachers - "Read on to discover various Internet safety threats you should be mindful of, including best practices for protecting your students. You’ll learn about online child safety laws, discussing digital safety with kids, managing smartphone use in class, and much more." (L:T; SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Grandpa's Window - A Book Review

I recently read Grandpa’s Window by Laura Gehl It will be released on March 14, 2023.I read a review copy compliments of Netgalley and I am not being paid to give this review.

This children’s book was well-written and illustrated. The topic deals with Grandpa’s health and how it declines while he is in the hospital. There is a close relationship between the child and the grandpa but we see how Daria handles each situation. Reading this aloud to a child who may be dealing with the death of a loved one can open up a discussion that the child might not know how to initiate. This can be read by the parent or a teacher. If read during a class, there might be more than one child who would benefit from this discussion.

I would highly recommend this book to teachers and parents. If you read it, please let me know what you think.

National Pizza Day

National Pizza Day is February 9. Nobody really knows who or when National Pizza Day was created but it sounds like a good day to celebrate Pizza! When I heard about this day, I thought about activities you can do in the classroom with Pizza as a theme.

Writing:

• What is your favorite pizza topping and why?
• What is your least favorite pizza topping and why?
• What is the perfect pizza? Tell about the crust and all the toppings.

Math:

• Pizza is a great way to teach fractions. Students can identify fractions by looking at the slices. 
• Addition and Subtraction of fractions can also be done using pizza.

History:

• Look up the history of pizza. When was it first eaten?
• When did pizza become popular in the US and why?

Art:

• Draw your favorite pizza with your favorite toppings.
• You can also use old magazines and ads with pictures. Have students cut out a pizza and attach pictures of the toppings to it.

What other activities could you do with the pizza theme? Please share.

Standing Up to Injustice

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Standing Up to Injustice, Rushton features: 

“Maida Bilal led a group of women from her village in a 503-day blockade of heavy equipment that resulted in the cancellation of permits for two proposed dams on the Kruščica River in December 2018.”

Rushton gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Do you know someone who stood up to more powerful people because she or he felt it was the right thing to do? Describe what happened, and what that person did.

Seeing a story like this, one good move is to learn more about the people who made the video. What can you learn about the Goldman Environmental Prize?”

I am impressed by these brave women! 503 days is a long time to continue a protest and it would take a lot of energy to keep people interested in continuing a protest this long. I know how hard it must be to stand up against big business so this took a lot of courage. How could you keep people engaged in a long protest like this? Too often, people lose interest and give up. 

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Valentine’s Day Activities

Valentine’s Day is always exciting for many children. They like the thought of exchanging valentines and making others happy. For some though, this can be stressful because many are afraid that no one likes them, that they may not get any valentines, or that they can’t afford to give any valentines. This is why I like to encourage students to make their own instead of buying valentines.

Here are some links to suggestions for making your own valentine's cards. Maybe students can look through the choices and pick one that appeals to them. Some might want to make more than one. This would be a great activity for reading and following directions.

 
52 Easy DIY Valentine's Day Card Ideas That'll Warm Hearts on February 14

22 Creative Homemade Valentine Card Ideas

45 Easy DIY Valentine Cards Cute Enough to Win Their Heart

52 Cute DIY Valentine's Day Card Ideas to Give Your Sweetheart

45 DIY Valentine's Day Cards to Show How Much You Care

Do you have a favorite homemade Valentine's Card? Please share. 

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 02/02/23

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Make AR and VR in the Classroom - “Create virtually anything in 3D” (L:T; SA:A)

Google Fact Checker - “Search fact checks about a topic or person” (L:G; SA:A)

Renting a Place to Live - “In this personal finance lesson, students will compare rental options.” (L:H; SA:LA, M, SS, C)

Turbulence - “What is turbulence and why does it happen? Explore the phenomenon that has perplexed physicists for over a century.” (L:G; SA:S)

Library of Congress: By the People - “By the People invites you to transcribe, review, and tag digitized pages from the Library’s collections. Everyone is welcome to take part! Volunteer-created transcriptions improve search, readability, and access to handwritten and typed documents for everyone, including people who are not fully sighted. All transcriptions are made and reviewed by volunteers before they are returned to loc.gov, the Library's website. You don't even need to create an account to transcribe, but registered users can also tag and review other people's transcriptions.” (L:H; SA:LA, SS)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Kinetic Art Exhibit

Last weekend I attended a Kinetic Art Exhibit in Boynton Beach. This is the second time we have been to this event.

“The 2023 International Kinetic Biennial is a free art exhibit and symposium of artists, designers, and performers to engage the Boynton community and South Florida visitors in contemporary kinetic art. The Biennial demonstrates the interconnectedness of art and technology and leverages human fascination with movement”

I really enjoyed going to see the art exhibits inside the Arts and Cultural Center. Kinetic energy is defined as the energy of motion and I loved seeing how artists brought this energy into their artwork. I was able to talk to some of the artists there and ask them questions. The outdoor sculptures were fun to see also. I was very happy to see many children there too to see the art and ask questions about the things they were seeing.

There was one huge artwork that fascinated me the most. There were strings of metal beads hanging from a motor that swirled them around. Below it was a box of sand with a metal bead in it that was pulled by magnetic force and created a piece of art in the sand.

If you ever get to visit a Kinetic Art exhibit, please go because it is fascinating!

2023 Goals Review for January

 January was a good month. We did go on a 12-day cruise (MSC Divina) and had a great time. I think I’m doing a pretty good working on my goals. I worked on 8 out of 10 goals this month. 

 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. 

2. Knit at least 1 sweater (Collins Tee) 

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – no yarn bought in January! I did work on a pair of socks on the cruise and I have the Shawlography shawl by Stephen West on the needles. 

-Yarn used - 

-Yarn bought - 

3. Complete a shawl (Shawlography)

4. Try 4 new recipes. - I didn’t try anything new in January. 

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - Worked on this in January. 

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 10 pages for January. 

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge - I’m enjoying this! 

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 books in January. 

10. Read 12 nonfiction books.

• Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

   

What are your goals for this year? Please share.